What's In a Name
by ThisIsOneHellOfAUserName
Summary: Inu" means "dog". A dog is a mammal, an animal. A beast. He always knew of the dark side, the demon side, that threatened to consume him. What he didn't know was what turmoil it would bring to the people around him. If only he hadn't killed her...I&K R
1. Slaughter

Alright, this is my thrid InuYasha and Kagome story. This is going to be long, dramatic, and descriptive. Also, I hope to make it shocking, even more so than it already is. The beginning is a little slow, as most stories are. And there is a lot of explaining of emotions, but I think they are crutial to the rest of the story. Please, read the whole thing. PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!!!

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It was an ordinary day, just like any other for the group. The road they were walking on sent chalky dust up onto their exposed ankles, making them become dirtier by the moment. The weapons all made noises as the bodies that held them moved; the rings of Miroku's staff clinking together with a chime, Sango's Hiraikotsu thumping against her leg, InuYasha's sword's hilt clanking against it's sheath.

Kagome looked up at the cloud covered sky, her face grim. The air had that certain smell to it, the smell that foretold rain. That with the grey sky was enough to convince her that it was time to make camp.

"InuYasha…" she muttered softly, trying not to aggravate him too much before even asking her question. That was just how he was, it seemed. Always yelling and punching before actually listening or talking. And he did it to everyone too, not just her and the enemies. It was his personality…

Just as she had suspected, the promise of foul weather had irritated his sensitive attitude. "What?" he snapped at her over his shoulder.

"I-it's going to rain," she responded with a small smile. "Maybe we should make camp?"

His expression softened slightly. How was it that she had that effect over him? Her smile just seemed to lighten up his whole day, his life even. If she had never fallen through the well on that fateful day, she would never have freed him from Kikyou's cursed arrow. He would have been asleep forever. Kagome could have only met him in his dreams…

He regained his agitated facial feature, whipping his head back front. He scoffed, "Whatever. You women are so week and frail. Always needing a roof over your head to protect you from a little rain."

Sango glared at this, Miroku chuckling at her reaction to InuYasha's comment. He decided to side with the ladies, as always. "Maybe I'd like a roof over my head as well, even if it's just a roof of leaves. We'll sleep under the tree's canopy tonight. Is that alright with you, Kagome-sama?"

Kagome stopped to walk next to him, smiling. Seemed she suddenly appreciated his company more than InuYasha's. InuYasha noticed, becoming a little irritated at that as well. What was so special about Miroku, huh? He wasn't exactly the best man around. Then again, InuYasha was no Romeo himself, but at least he didn't womanize when he knew a girl liked him. Kagome did like him, right? Well, no matter, all that he knew and needed to know was that he loved her. The way her very presence calmed him. The way she protected him; not with weapons or valor as he did with her, but with her words. Every thing that her lips formed was like music to his ears, flowing into the ear drums of his soul and healing it. It wasn't as if he had suffered immense tragedy or anything, but there was one thing that haunted him, and he knew it would haunt him for the rest of his life.

His demon side.

His eyes narrowed as he recalled events from the past. When he had slaughtered those people in the battle with that moth demon…. It had been so long ago, but he could still see the blood on his hands. Not literally, of course, but his mind always sent him the vision. Whenever Tetsusaiga was out of his reach, he panicked. As soon as the sword left his grasp, that little voice in the back of his head started talking. The dark side of him, the demon side, spoke to him, tainting him with its black words. It was as if it was trying to contradict everything Kagome said to him. Ripping apart the stitches on his heart that she tried so desperately to sew together.

There was always apart of him that wanted to stop the internal battle, to let it loose. But he couldn't. For Kagome…he just couldn't do that to her. He saw how worried he had made her, merely from killing strangers. Not only worry but fear. For her own life. He could see it in her eyes, when she had sat next to him by the river. The way she looked at him with pity almost, it crushed him. But when he looked deeper into her chocolate eyes, he could see the true fear within. That crushed him more than anything ever had before in his life. More than Kikyou, even. That the woman he loved feared his very being—scared him more than any demon or human or mix of both ever could.

The group came to a stop in a miniature clearing. The darkening sky was covered by the tree's leaves, only a few drops of the oncoming rain able to slip through and splash onto the dirt below. The air was muggy and soft, like being under a blanket. The pitter patter of the rain was soothing also, making Kagome feel at ease. It wasn't very often that she could feel this way in the Sengoku Era, and this moment was highly appreciated by her. She dropped her backpack onto the ground, its contents bumping into each other with the force. She then sat down next to it, surprised with the dry ground.

"Don't get too comfy," Sango said with a smile. "We should all go out and get fire wood."

InuYasha hopped up into a nearby tree. "You girls go on ahead. You wanted to stop, so I stopped. If I'm forced to do whatever you want all the time, then I deserve some time to myself."

"Fine," Miroku replied cheerily. "Then I'll accompany the ladies for protection." He smiled lecherously.

Sango sweat dropped, "Of course you will."

"You don't need your weapon Sango," he said. "I said I'm accompanying you to protect you, didn't I? I'll hold it true."

She shook her head and smiled, setting her boomerang down with a thump.

Kagome followed her lead, "No sense bringing my bow and arrows." She slid them off her back and set them down. "We're just getting firewood after all."

The three departed, leaving the lazy hanyou perched on his branch.

In the forest, Miroku and Sango walked ahead of Kagome. The teenage girl walked with her head down, deep in thought. What was InuYasha's problem? Why didn't he ever want to be with her? He could have offered to go with her instead, but instead he had to pout in a tree like a three-year-old. She sighed heavily. Why oh why did she love him? It _definitely _wasn't for his arrogance, idiocy, or childishness. Was it because he protected her? No, that was too simple. She looked up to see a few stars peeking through the tree's leaves. Maybe…. Maybe it was because…she needed him? Not to save her from demons, but to save her from herself. She had had a pretty normal, average life. Boring. Her life was actually quite…lifeless. She was doomed to an endless, boring spiral for a hundred years. Sure, that may be a little dramatic, but sort of true. But when she had fallen through the well…

Everything changed. InuYasha, the mystical being, was the first thing she saw that was out of the ordinary. He was gorgeous. His silver hair was just melting in the soft sunlight, giving him an angelic glow. His form was peaceful and calm; resting slightly against the tree he was trapped to. And his face…his skin that she so badly wanted to touch. His lips that she wanted so badly to kiss. And his eyes…when he opened those pools of molten gold for the first time, her heart had caught in her throat. His stare was intense, intimidating. Just the kind of intimidation she needed. Those eyes sent an instant spark into her soul, into her heart. She knew instantly, in that moment, that she needed him. Hell, his purpose for her might not have even been fulfilled yet. But she just knew that she had to release him from that curse. And that when he was attacking her, she just had to stay alive, just for him. She couldn't explain it—she just knew.

She was pulled from her train of thought by Miroku's abrupt stop.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath.

Sango placed her hand gently on his shoulder, "What is it, Houshi-sama?"

He shrugged her off. "Get back, both of you." He yanked his staff in front of his body, the jingling rings echoing in the still woods. He placed his finger to his lips just as the girls opened their mouths to question his actions. After sighing in aggravation, Sango's face matched his, her eyes growing wide.

Kagome looked to them inquiringly. What was their problem? But that's when she felt it. Deep in the pit of her stomach. The demonic aura seeped through her pores, sinking into her body and mind. This thing was big. And Sango had left her Hiraikotsu. She had left her bow and arrows. Miroku only had his staff, which could be easily countered, especially with this demon's massive size. They were in big trouble.

Heavy, thunderous footsteps stomped through the forest ahead of them. A low, menacing growl reached their ears, forcing them to look up in fear. And there it was; the gargantuan ogre demon. Its body was large and dark red-brown. His muscles ripped through its arms and torso, heaving with every large breath it took. Its eyes glowed red in the darkening sky, illuminating its large yellow teeth. The lower body was covered with a loin cloth, just like all the other ogre demons. The only thing that really made this one different was its size.

Suddenly, the beast's nose caught scent of the humans below. It whipped its head downward, roaring at them on sight. Swinging its large, talon-adorned hand into the sky, it slashed down at Miroku. He cried out as he practically flew past them, slamming into a tree. His head collided with it hard, his eyes dilating instantly. Slumping down to the tree's base, he went still. Limply, he held his staff in his hand. A small hint of red was visible on the bark behind his head.

Sango called out to him in worry, beginning to run to him. She stopped in her tracks, however, when she felt the demon move behind her. Whipping off her kimono, she stood before it with her demon-slaying outfit on. She grabbed the sword at her waist, pulling it from its sheath with angry force. She glared at the demon, contemplating her future actions.

She slid a chain out from underneath her elbow armor, swinging it around like Kohaku's scythe. Wrapping it around a tree branch, she jumped up to the demon's head.

"Sango-chan!" Kagome called in worry. Was she insane?!

Sango swiftly wrapped the chain around the ogre's neck, catching it by surprise. She jumped back onto the branch she had tied the chain around, seeing as it was slightly higher than the ogre's head. When she jumped back to the ground, chain in hand, the force caused the ogre to jump up to avoid being strangled. Instead, it whacked it's head on the thick branch. It fell backwards in pain. Sango realized her chance, running toward in full-throttle. She plunged her sword into its head, blood spluttering around her. She wiggled the blade around a bit, for good measure. Confident that the beast was dead, she walked back over to Kagome.

"Are you ok, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome stared at her dumb-founded. "Y-yeah of course."

Back at camp, InuYasha's eyes shot open. His nose danced with the scent of blood. What had happened to them?! The scent was definitely coming from their direction. He launched off the branch, hopping on the other trees at lightning speed. In no time at all, he was at the battle sight.

Just before he could call to them to ask if they were alright however, he gasped. That ogre was huge! They killed it without their weapons? He was greatly impressed. Well, or he should have been, if the demon was actually dead.

The ogre's hand twitched. It sat up quicker than it normally would have, especially with such a grave wound to its head. Blood gushed from its forehead, trickling down its face and pooling in its lap like a stream. It glared at the girls who were conversing below it. InuYasha reached for Tetsusaiga out of instinct.

But he only grabbed air.

He looked down at the sheath in panic. The actual blade had fallen out of the sheath! It must have slipped out when he was lying in the tree…. InuYasha's face turned to one of desperation. What could he do? He had to resort to old techniques, his claws. Quickly, he dove down at the demon, his claws cracking.

"Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" He bellowed, slicing the demon's belly open in one swoop. It shrieked in pain as its entrails spilled out onto its legs. But it was still alive! "Damn persistent bastard!" InuYasha smiled, bringing his claws to his face. Sango ran up next to him, her sword out defensively.

"Thanks, InuYasha," she said while getting in battle stance. "That would have been bad."

He frowned. She had put Kagome in danger. Sango thought she was such a good fighter. She couldn't even protect one simple human girl! "Best demon slayer" his ass.

InuYasha jumped up, over the ogre's body. Sango took it as he was going to attack the demon from behind. She hopped up its body, slicing its skin on her way to its head. It had its mouth opened in agony, revealing a perfect spot for her to strike. If she cut the tip of its spine, through its neck, it would be paralyzed. She thrust her sword into the spot, surprised when she heard another shout come from the other end. It sounded like…InuYasha!

InuYasha stared at the blade that had just impaled him. It went right through his stomach. He shakily brought a hand to it, grasping it tightly. He tried ripping it out, but only succeeded in slicing his hand open deeply. His eyes began to cloud over with the fright death. Heh, Sango must have hit one of his main organs. Stupid girl…. He smiled. Oh well…it was an accident of course….

But Kagome…..

_Don't you die_

What was that? InuYasha's eyes opened a little.

_Don't you dare die here, not like this. Have you know dignity?_

Who was that? He felt anger erupt in his body, deep in his heart.

_You're just going to let some stupid human be the cause of your death, and by accident no less?! Kill that stupid demon! Kill that stupid girl! Kill that monk! Kill the priestess! Kill them all! KILL!_

InuYasha shook his head, placing his hands to his ears. He cried out as he felt the blood starting to pour from his stomach. His heart beat throbbed in his head, fueling the voice's influence. No! He couldn't! He wouldn't kill them! Not Sango, no, it was an accident! And Miroku…he didn't mean to put Kagome in danger! Kagome…he would _never _kill her! Not in a million years! That was what he feared the most in life!

_But if you don't kill the ogre…_ the voice continued. _Kagome will surely die. All it needs to do is snap its mouth closed to kill the demon slayer. And Miroku is out cold, easily a victim. Kagome is just left there, alone and defenseless against this demon's rage. You said you'd protect her, at any cost! You promised! Don't back out now! Be a man__—__be a demon! The full-fledged demon you desire to be!_

InuYasha gave into the darkness. Is fangs began to shake as they extended in his mouth. The purple lines etched themselves onto his cheeks. His claws stretched and formed into talons. His eyes flashed fed with murderous furry, the pupils turning blue and white. He threw back his head and cackled, his mouth enlarged by his fangs. He swiftly jumped back from the sword, the blade sliding out of him with ease. Blood trailed after it, but he didn't even acknowledge it in the slightest.

His feet collided with a tree parallel to the ogre's back. In one fell swoop, he literally cut the demon in half. Sango jumped back in the nick of time, pulling her sword out with her. She landed on the ground before the two demons, InuYasha now standing on top of the ogres mangled corps.

It seemed he wasn't through yet.

Sango shivered as the demon's glare went straight into her mind.

InuYasha snarled at her as if she were a piece of meat. _She's the one who injured you so badly. With you out of the way, Kagome would have been easy prey. She is the real threat here. Kill her. KILL HER!_

InuYasha's mind was completely consumed by the demon within. He jumped from the carcass, diving straight for Sango. Her legs started to shake. She had done this to him. It was all her fault. So who was she to kill him, one of her best friends? She dropped her sword; half in fear, and half in pity for the man coming at her.

It was as if it happened in slow motion.

His claws collided with the skin on her upper chest, near her collar bone. His crazed, blood-lusting eyes met with hers. Her own eyes dulled in acceptance. He smiled at her and grunted a beastly noise, but it was quickly drowned out by the sound that followed. His claws ripped through her body like a nail would rip through paper. He plowed through her entire torso, his claws only getting caught on her ribs and heart. Blood sprayed over his body—like he had just purified himself in a waterfall of blood.

Sango coughed up blood as her limp body fell backward, right in front of Kagome.

Kagome stood with shaking knees and arms. She brought her hands up to her mouth in horror. Her eyes trembled with fear as she stared into the dead eyes of her best friend. The best friend that the man she loved had just slaughtered. She balled her hands into fists at her temples, closing her eyes in agony and pain. She cried out a deafening, ear-splitting, heart-shattering scream as hot tears began to roll down her cheeks.

InuYasha's low, evil growl stopped her cry. He turned to her now, his claws ready at his sides. Kagome put her hands up in defense and let out a small whimper of fear. No, it couldn't end like this. No, no! Not InuYasha! He couldn't…he wouldn't….

_Now for the priestess….._


	2. Animal

This one's a little shorter but I'm on a time limit. Sorry! READ AND** REVIEW~~!!!**

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Kagome stood before him, her entire body shaking. She raised her hand to guard her chest, her other one flailing around, trying to hold onto something for support. Her eyes were blank with fear, staring at the boy before her in utter shock. He killed her! He really killed her! This couldn't be happening!

InuYasha took at swift step forward, causing her to cringe. Shit, what was she going to do? He was coming after her next! What could she do?! She didn't want to hurt him…she loved him! But he…but he killed her best friend…. No! She wouldn't hurt him! She just wouldn't!

Miroku leapt up from his spot against the tree. He had just opened his eyes to see the hazy image of InuYasha—demon—coming after Kagome. He thrust his staff out in front of her, the blood trickling down his face. The rings also were stained red, making Kagome gulp in fear. The blood…what would Miroku do when he saw Sango's blood, her dead body lying on the cold ground? She shivered at the thought of his reaction.

"InuYasha," he commanded, "come to your senses" His voice cut off short. His eyes had drifted to the girl lying on the ground behind the demon. Sango's soulless eyes stared up at him without emotion. He stared back into them, his face paling to match hers. "S-Sango…"

Kagome placed her hand on his shoulder gently. Fresh tears stared pouring from her eyes. "Miroku-sama…."

He tore away from her, running to Sango. His shoulder brushed against InuYasha's for an instant, his eyes drifting to the demon's face. InuYasha smiled at him maliciously, his stare intense. Miroku's eyes widened. InuYasha wasn't supposed to have any recollection or sense of anything when he was in his demon form. But…he knew! He knew who he had killed, and he…he was smiling about it! He knew what it was doing to Miroku's heart; tearing it out, shredding it to pieces. He knew the pain he was causing them all…

Miroku turned away, hate brewing in his soul. His feeling quickly changed to depression, however, when his eyes re-set themselves on his lost love. He dropped to his knees before her, wrapping his arms around her wilted form, staring at her snow-white face. Tears came to his eyes as he placed his fingers over hers, closing them slowly. He took her face in his hands, twitching at the icy feel of her skin. He brushed his thumb over her lips, a tear splashing onto her cheek. It trickled down to her chin, making it look as if she was crying too.

He suppressed a sob, but to no avail. Then he decided that he didn't care; not anymore at least. The tears rolled freely down his face, his mouth a thin line. "Oh God…Sango…. I n-never got to kiss y-you…I never got to tell you I l-love you…. Please don't die! Sango!" He buried his face in her neck, crying out his emotional pain.

InuYasha stared at them, his smile falling. His expression began to soften, his brow becoming un-furrowed. His eyes regained their normal and glossed over with tears. His mouth dropped open in disbelief. "Sango…? Miroku what happened?"

Miroku's head shot up at the sound of the hanyou's normal voice. He whipped his head to face him, angry tears staining his cheeks. "What happened?!" he mimicked, standing up. He carefully put the dead girl on the ground, and then turned to the man. "You happened, InuYasha! You killed her! You c-cut her into shreds! You killed the woman I love!"

InuYasha's heart beat thumped in his head again. "W-what? N-no I didn't! I would never! Sango's one of my friends…"

"Friends?! I don't massacre my friends, InuYasha! What's wrong with you?!"

"I m-must have been in my d-demon form…" he muttered to himself.

Miroku balled his hands into fists. He ran at him, punching InuYasha in the face full-force. InuYasha fell to the ground, surprised by the man's actions. Miroku straddled his waist, punching him over and over again. Blood sprayed out of the side of the half demon's mouth, his eyes wide and shocked.

Kagome gasped. She ran over to Miroku, feeling the undeniable urge to help InuYasha. She grabbed Miroku's shoulders, trying to pry him off of him. "Stop! Please! You're hurting him!"

Miroku squirmed, trying to get away from her without hurting her. "He's the one who hurt me Kagome! Sango…Sango was all I had to live for! I'm nothing without her!" He grabbed InuYasha's hands, shoving them into InuYasha's point of view.

The were completely soaked in red.

"This is her blood on your hands!" he spat, his glare full of hate. "The blood of my love, Kagome's best friend, and your companion! Tell me, InuYasha, how does that make you feel?! It wasn't your 'demon side'! It was you! You can't blame your actions on your demon blood! You are you InuYasha, and you need to tame yourself! You're an animal! Do you here me?! An animal!"

InuYasha stared at his claws, his fingers shaking. His eyes lost their shine, going dead with thought. He was right. He couldn't run from his demon side, nor could he blame everything that happened on it either. They were his claws that killed all those people. His claws that slaughtered Sango. His claws that caused Miroku so much pain. His claws that hit Kagome with so much fear…. All his.

_Animal…_

That was the part that was the most true of all. That was just what he was. An animal. Killing whatever and whoever he needed to, to stay alive. Whenever his body was injured beyond thought, and he didn't have his Tetsusaiga—his fang— for protection, he turned into a beast. He just simply tore through anything in his path that was a threat, not thinking of the consequences. Actually, he didn't think of much at all. Just to kill…and kill and kill and kill!

He gripped the air with his hands, a few drops of blood splashing onto his face. The feeling of the warm liquid made him shudder, thinking of the warm, life filled body it had come from. Now she lay on the ground, cold and dead. All because of him.

Miroku, realizing he had struck a nerve, got off of the man. He turned away, back to Sango, and picked her up. "I'm leaving. I'm going back to Keade's village. Maybe there's something she can do…"

"But Miroku…" Kagome whispered, kneeling on the ground before InuYasha. "She's dead…"

Miroku tensed up. He owned up to silence, before he snapped again. He walked away, into the forest, a small trail of blood following after him. Kagome stared at the bigger pool of red, the starlight reflecting off of it's still surface like a lake. Sango….

But she didn't cry. She didn't have enough tears left for that.

InuYasha sat up, hiding his eyes behind his bangs. He moaned in agony. Kagome, mistaking it as a growl, scooted away. InuYasha looked up at her, his eyes displaying despair. He offered her a sad smile, "H-hey…." He reached out to touch her, to hold her. Not for her comfort, but for his. The second his bloody hand touched her, however, she ripped away from him. She stood, making a little whimpering noise of fear. Quickly, she ran into the forest, in a different direction than Miroku had gone. InuYasha watched her go, his smile dropping instantly from his face.

She wasn't just scared, she was mortified. Didn't she realize how much this hurt him too? He had just killed one of his friends, and lost his best friend in the whole world. Now she, the woman he loved, was going to leave him too? It just wasn't fair! She couldn't do this to him! Then again…he had hurt her too. Besides the fact that he made both of their friends leave them, he had done something else. If in fact she did love him…then he just shattered her very soul. What was it like, he wondered, to have the man you love kill someone, your friend, right in front of you? And the possibility that he could kill you too, without any second thought? If Miroku hadn't been there…he might just have.

He remembered after the fight with the moth demon, when he had killed those bandits. Kagome had come to him, offering him a towel to dry his wet hands. She hadn't sad a word. She just sat there, staring at him with those eyes. He had mistaken the look for pity at the time. But now he saw that it was understanding. Like she knew it had hurt him just as much as it had hurt her to watch. Watch him turn into a ruthless animal. She kneeled behind him, placing her calming hand gently on his shoulder. She rested her head on his other shoulder, breathing in his scent. He had been so surprised as he placed his hand over hers. He had squeezed it, promising her with his thoughts. He had told himself that this would happen, that one day he might tear her apart with his claws.

He was just thankful that Sango was dead, and not Kagome.

There was no way he could live with himself if he had killed her. Rather her fear him for eternity than have him kill her. That would haunt him for the rest of his years, and well into the afterlife.

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Kagome ran through the forest, her arms in front of her face for protection against the branches and leaves. She had to get home. Back to her safe, warm bed. Her loving, caring family. She had to get away from this cursed time period! It was just as Kikyou had said…

_You don't belong here. Go back to your own time!_

She was so right. She didn't belong here. She was worthless. Kikyou could have detected the jewel shards just as she had. Kikyou was a better priestess than she was by far. She could have stopped InuYasha…. No. Nothing could stop that…that animal!

She stopped on a dime, surprised by her own thoughts. She stared at the dark ground. "Now why'd I say that? H-he's not an animal…it's not his fault he…h-he…"

She started to cry again. She hugged herself, trying to stop her shoulders from shaking. Her tears splashed onto the leaves; her sobs echoing into the dead silent night. She looked up at the sky, the water on her face illuminated by the quarter moon. "InuYasha…I'm sorry…y-you're the one that needs to be saved from yourself…."


	3. Sin

Alright, this chapter is really long. Sorry, I tried to atone for the fact I made the last one so short.

Anyway...

This chapter has a lot of important and meaningful diologue in it, and is really for serious readers. **REVIEW!!!**

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Miroku sat on the floor of Keade's hut, staring at the body in front of him. He still couldn't grasp it. There was no way that she was dead, there was just no way. She was so…real! The sound of her voice, the sparkle in her eyes, the warmth of her skin…. His eyes brimmed with fresh tears. How could someone who was so…_alive_ be so…dead? It was as if she had completely left the planet….

He leaned against the wall, his legs crossed as they always were. He placed his head in his hand, remembering everything about her. He didn't want to do it, but he had to. It felt like he had been cut deeply and that he himself kept plunging a knife into his open wound again and again. Self inflicted pain.

There had to be something he could do, something that would bring her back to him. He thought for a moment about committing suicide—but instantly stopped himself. Killing yourself was a sin, one of the worst that could be done by man. Buddha would no doubt damn his soul to hell, where as Sango would be up in heaven. Then they would have to spend eternity apart….

He hadn't realized how much he had loved her. The amount of pain he was suffering through right now couldn't be described as anything but lost love. When his father had died he had felt something like this, but it was slightly different. Still, it was love all the same. Funny thing was, he hadn't told his father that he had loved him before he died either…

Miroku broke out into a sob, trying with all his might to stop. He didn't want to cry anymore.

Kagome stopped at the entry way, panting with the exhaustion of running. He looked up to see her, her clothes stained with some splatter from when the blood had sprayed from Sango. Kagome gasped at his face, surprised to see the glistening water on his cheeks too. She just stared at him for a minute, and then looked past him to see Sango again. Her eyes went blank as she sobbed as well, dropping her arms to her sides limply. She fell to her knees, crying out for the second time that night.

Miroku tried to smile, but it was a sad attempt. "I-I'm sorry, Kagome-s-sama."

She shot her head up in shock, and then her expression turned to one of horror. "D-don't you dare tell me that!" She stood up again, walking into the hut. She sat on the other side of Sango, wincing at the sight and smell of her body. "It was all my fault…" she continued in a small, scared voice. "I-I didn't do anything to stop it! I j-just stood there…"

"There was n-nothing you could do, Kagome," Miroku assured her. If he couldn't stop his own pain, he could try to stop someone else's. It was his duty as a monk…

She looked away from him, hiding her eyes behind her bangs. She couldn't even bear to look at him. He looked so…torn. Distraught. Destroyed. "Y-yes…I could have. I'm th-the one who has power o-over him…. If I would have stepped in…yelled a-at him…hugged him…" Her voice became stronger in hysteria, "Anything! Anything that would have prevented his!" She looked at him as she spoke the last words, the pain in both of their eyes connecting.

"Listen to me; I don't blame you for anything. If there's anyone to blame…it's me." He stopped his quivering as his sadness was replaced with anger in his self. "I shouldn't have fallen victim to such a pathetic demon. I shouldn't have given into unconsciousness. I said I would protect you both but of course I wanted to protect her more! And now look what I-I've done…I killed her!"

"Not you…" Kagome forced herself to recall the horrific image of InuYasha cutting through their friend and lover. "Him."

Miroku punched the wall next to him. "I'll kill him!"

Kagome faced him, her face becoming pale. "W-what? Miroku, please, stop talking like that! That's crazy! You can't really-"

"What?!" he cut her off, "you think I should just let him walk? He _killed_ Sango, Kagome! He diced her up like she was a piece of meat!" His voice cracked there. "He killed my woman, so I'm going to kill him. He has to repent—it is Buddha's will!"

Kagome placed her arm on his shoulder, gripping it slightly. "It's not Buddha's will, it's your's."

Miroku glared down at her out of the corner of his eye. He shoved her away from him, and then shouted, "What do you care, Kagome? He killed her! She's not only my lover but _your _best friend! That man…that _thing _merely an animal! An animal that needs to be tamed!"

"But Miroku-"

"Don't' tell me you're still in love with him?!"

Kagome gasped and stared up at him, open mouthed. She blinked, trying to figure out her own emotions. Did she still love him? How could she, after all that he had done? Miroku was right, she shouldn't. She couldn't. But she did. She couldn't explain it; there was still a part of her that made her heart beat when she saw him. Then again, it could have been beating in fear. She had run away from him at the time, but who wouldn't? It wasn't as if she was going to hug him…though, now she would. Someone needed to comfort him. He didn't do it on purpose. Right now, he was most likely drowning in sin and regret. He needed her, as he always had. She was a source of support for him, though it wasn't visible to normal people. They had a kind of undefined love—both of them needing each other, but neither of them expressing it physically or emotionally. They always stood by each other, without questioning it.

And now was when they needed each other most.

She swallowed and stared into Miroku's hateful and malicious eyes. "Yes. I do still love him. But who are you to judge me? I'm allowed to love whomever I want, no matter their past or what they've done to me. Or you, for that matter. How do you think InuYasha feels about all this? The value of our friendship right now is more than that of revenge could ever amount to!"

Miroku grunted in response. "You don't seem to understand how I feel. Maybe I should kill you instead, so he sees how it feels?"

Kagome felt a chill run down her spine. He wouldn't. There was just no way that the kind, virtuous Miroku would ever harm her.

He laughed. "Wow Kagome. You really are gullible. I wouldn't lay a finger on you; violently or lecherously. Not anymore at least. My heart belongs to one person and one person alone, and that's Sango. She really believed in revenge. She valued it over our relationship, as did I. Until we killed Naraku, we weren't going to move forward. I wish I would have done it differently…"

"That's what I'm saying though!" Kagome argued. "You regret going for revenge rather than love! That's how it is now, only with friendship! You wouldn't really kill InuYasha; he's your best friend! Please Miroku, be reasonable! We can all work through this together and try to find a solution!"

Miroku pondered her words for a moment, and then shook his head. "It's not the same. I'm almost positive I won't have any regrets killing InuYasha. He's lost it, and he's not only a threat to me and you, but a threat to himself. Who's to say he won't kill himself? I'm trying to save him from the demons inside him."

Kagome then slapped him, sending his head to look to the right. The sound echoed throughout the empty hut.

He looked back at her, his eyes alive with shock and pain.

"Don't preach to me, Houshi." She glared at him, her voice dark. "We all have demons inside of us, even you, and even me. You feel total and complete responsibility for your father's death. You hate Naraku with all of your very soul, just for putting a curse on your family. Honestly, I think your great grandfather deserved what he got, and you too! And I…my demon is InuYasha's love for Kikyou…. I hate her, I admit it. Even after all she's done for us, I can't help but feel resentful towards her. Your greatest fear is that one day the wind tunnel will consume you. Mine is that one day, InuYasha will choose Kikyou over me, and that I'll have no one to protect me anymore. InuYasha is no different. Instead of fearing for his life or lost love, he dreads the thought that he'll turn into a demon. His worst fear, most likely, was killing you, Sango, Kikyou or me. The only difference between us is that his nightmare came true."

Miroku just stared at her, drinking in her wise words. She was absolutely right. How could he have let his holy mind be tainted with such evil thoughts of malice?

"…You're right, Kagome-sama. I'm sorry. It's just…"

Kagome nodded, glancing at the body next to her. "I understand. You're getting hate confused with pain and anger and agony. It's ok now, though. Nothing can hurt you anymore."

Miroku nodded, brushing a stray strand of hair from Sango's solemn face. "Only because everything precious to me has been taken…"

Kagome placed her hand to her chest, making a fist around her shirt. It hurt her to see others in pain. But who's pain was worse, Miroku's, or InuYasha's? She wanted to see him. She wanted to tell him that everything was going to be ok, even if it really wasn't. She had to protect him from his own demonic thoughts, just as Miroku had said. She had to act like his mother, shielding him from the world and its evils.

Standing up, Kagome faced the door.

"Where are you going?" Miroku asked, curious as to why she'd be leaving at a time like this. Dawn was coming, and neither of them had had any sleep. "You really should sleep. I'll watch over you, protect you I mean. I promise not to let you down this time."

Kagome looked back at him and offered him a sad smile. "I'm going to go…find some food. Don't do anything rash, ok? We'll figure something out."

And with that, she left. Miroku stared after her curiously. He looked to his left, where there was a pile of fish and a plate of bread. Why would she need to go get food, when there was enough for the both of them right here? Not like either of them could stomach anything right then, let alone sleep. There was no doubt in his mind; she was going to find him.

"Oh, dear Buddha." He clapped his hands together in a prayer. "Please protect Kagome, the foolish girl, from the man she loves with all of her heart. This must be true love indeed, and I pray that you will let it withstand its participants' actions and be tolerable to their mistakes. Please, please let it work out for them. Amida Nyorai."

Kagome ran through the forest, trying to get back to the spot where she had last seen InuYasha. She didn't want to go back there, nor did she feel like she had to. He had no doubt moved since then. Obviously he wouldn't be there. She stopped, and then looked around in confusion. The sun's beams started crawling over the horizon, stabbing through the air while shedding incredible light. The trees gave off a softer color, them accompanied by the grass, animals and other plants. The sky flushed pink and light blue, as well as some grey and yellow color. Some birds tweeted in the background, somewhere slightly far away. It was strange that through everything that had happened in the previous night, the world still turned as it always had. Life still went on, for most of them at least. Nothing had changed, except for the fact that their group was completely destroyed.

She looked to her left, to her right, and then to her left again. How would she ever find him? Usually it was him that found her, thanks to his nose and agility. It would take her weeks to find him! She might even never find him…. She felt her heart sink in her chest, like a rock in water. Emptiness consumed her. She couldn't bear to think of living without him. Now she understood what Miroku had said, although her love wasn't even dead. Just the thought of him not being next to her scared her more than she liked it to. It just went to show how hopelessly in love with him she was.

Her glare returned. Knowing him, he probably decided to go back to his old life—back to _her_. Kikyou. He had always found comfort in her as well. Kagome sighed as she let her thoughts wander. Why did it seem that he only liked her because she reminded him of Kikyou? She was her reincarnation, but they were two completely different people!

She stopped herself again. No, they weren't. Looks aside, their personalities were very similar, much to her chagrin. They were both subjected to jealousy, and they both let their feelings get the best of them. They both had serious anger problems when they weren't happy. They both had undying love for InuYasha, and hated each other for having a half of his heart. Neither of them belonged there, either. Kagome, before, had thought that Kikyou was more suitable for the job of collecting the Shikon Jewel than she herself was. That she didn't belong in this world. But she was wrong; Kikyou didn't belong either. Sure, she was from a different time, but Kikyou was _dead_.

Kagome was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of a twig snapping behind her.

"Who's there?!" she yelled in panic, swiveling around to face the sound.

She heard nothing in response. Behind a tree, InuYasha stood against it, flattening his whole body to it in a desperate attempt to hide. He didn't want her to see him. Not like this. He still had Sango's blood all over him, and the stench was nauseating. He thought he had smelled Kagome through all of that, and he was right. Stupidly, he followed the scent, and of course, it led him to her. Now, he was stuck hiding from her. He just didn't want her to run away again….

Kagome, brave and reckless as ever, walked up to the bush. She tried to step over it quietly, but to no avail. Her shoe fell off and crashed against the branches and leaves of the bush. InuYasha peeked out of the corner of his eyes.

"Holy shit!" he exclaimed and jumped back.

Kagome was standing right next to him, reminding him of the first time he met her, when she unleashed the spell's hold on him. She crossed her arms and smiled, sticking her nose in the air.

"Found you."

He raised his brow in confusion. What was going on here? He just murdered someone, was covered in their blood, and she had run away from him in pure terror. But _she_ was confronting _him_?

She put on a more serious expression. "How are you feeling?"

He blinked at her twice before responding, "…Not so great actually." He sat in his dog-like fashion, his arms between his legs in a squat. He stared down at the ground in thought. "I don't know what to do! Miroku hates me, you're afraid of me, and Sango's dead! It's my entire fault and I can't do anything about it!"

"I'm not afraid of you, and Miroku doesn't hate you. I talked to him."

"Please, Kagome, you don't have to lie."

She clenched her fist. "I'm not lying! Why would I lie to you about something so important? This is really serious you know!"

"What, you think I don't know that?!" InuYasha shouted, standing up. He pointed at himself, "I absolutely detest myself! I hate every section of air I breathe! I can't stand to think anymore, because my mind keeps drifting back to…that!" His voice went false, "I don't even want to be alive anymore! Everything I've worked so hard to achieve—my friendships with Sango and Miroku, my relationship with you—it's all ruined!" He grabbed the sides of his head, looking at the ground with crazed eyes. "I just want to die! I want to kill myself Kagome!"

"Stop!" Kagome screamed. She felt more tears come to her eyes. "Just stop. Don't say that! Don't even think about it! It was all an accident! Nothing more, nothing less! Please stop blaming yourself for all that happened!"  
"But it was my fault!" he retorted. He swung his hand out dramatically, swiping at the tension between them. "It was just as Miroku said! It wasn't my demon's claws, it was my own! These are blood stains on my fingers Kagome," he yelled, showing his red talons. "It doesn't matter what state I was in, it's still blood!"

Kagome went silent at this. She looked to the side, avoiding his eyes. What could she say to that? She didn't know. She just didn't know how to comfort him! That's what she came to do, and she had been confident, too. But now, she wasn't so sure anymore. But she had to try, desperate as it may be. "InuYasha…it doesn't matter how much blood you spill. I will always love you."

His golden eyes shook with disbelief as they widened. "W-what?"

"I said I will always love you," she blushed and looked down, clenching her eyes closed tight. She gripped the hem of her skirt for support. "I said I would stand by you, well, actually I thought it. But I meant it! I shall never leave your side, no matter what happens!" She looked at him, her eyes pleading. "Please, promise me that you'll never give up, and that you'll stand by me too."

He said nothing for a few moments.

Then, he stepped forward, wrapping his blood soaked arms around her body. The warmth of his body mixed with the coolness of the drying blood was somehow…soothing. Kagome smiled as she rested her head against his shoulder. She embraced him as well, bringing him closer to her. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent.

"Your smell…" he whispered, "is always so comforting to me. I don't know how you do it Kagome. Even when the world is falling apart, you always manage to hold onto my heart. You have a special place in there, the place that reminds me of my mother. The way you calm me and hold me, protect me and love me. That's why I feel as if I should return the favor, even though I fail at that constantly. But I lacked the most important aspect of that of all; love. I love you too, Kagome, and I always will. I promise that I'll never give up, as long as we stand by and love each other."


	4. Confrontation

Ok, this ones really short and kind of pointless. I had to get this out of the way, but I'm going to make it more interesting after this, I promise. So keep reading, and **REVIEW!**

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InuYasha stared up at the sky, his mind racing. Too much had happened in the past couple hours. He had transformed, killed Sango, thoroughly pissed Miroku off, scared Kagome, and run away. Then, Kagome, for some reason, came back to him, and confessed her love to him.

But for some reason, he still felt totally awful.

When he had held Kagome and said those words to her, he really meant it. But not even a second after, he felt her body quiver. It took him a minute, but he realized it was because he still reeked of the scent of blood. His robes were turning a shade of darker red, seeing as the blood was almost fully dried. He had to get it off; the sight and scent were nauseating. He leapt from his branch, running to the sound of rushing water.

He came upon a waterfall, surrounded by lush trees and vegetation. The water poured off the high cliff, colliding with the rippling water below. The water was softer than most waterfalls, and offered a more soothing sound that usual.

InuYasha stomped into the water, ripping his kimono shirt off of his body. He stared at his bare chest in disgust. The blood had even seeped through to his skin! It was a dark reddish-brown color, and it was thick and flakey. Like the frosting on one of Kagome's "cakes". He swiped a small amount of it from his abs, its color sticking to his finger like glue. Instinctively, he brought it to his mouth. He poked his tongue out of his mouth slowly, inching towards the creamy blood on his finger.

_Taste it. Taste the blood from the meat you've slain. Common, it's your well-deserved meal. The liquid of life from your prey's dying body._

He abruptly stopped.

What the hell was he doing?! He rubbed it off of his finger trying to rub the thought out of his head at the same time. God damn it the demon was back! And what a sick and twisted thought! But still…he did want to try it….

No!

He punched the water, his fist clenching his kimono. He began to scrub it roughly, frustrated with himself. How could he think that?! Sure, the demon had mentioned it first, but he seconded it! What was wrong with him?!

_Nothing's wrong with you. Isn't this what you always wanted, to be full demon? I can grant that wish. I'll make you full demon, so you can slay any enemy that comes your way. I'll make you stronger than your brother, Sesshoumaru, too…._

InuYasha stopped scrubbing as he contemplated this. Sesshoumaru…! That was it! Why hadn't they thought of it before?! The Tensaiga could easily bring Sango back to life, if it wasn't too late at least! InuYasha rubbed his kimono harder, determined to get all the blood off as fast as possible. He had to go find him, and fast. There was no way that Sesshoumaru would ever consider it, but he had to try. Maybe if he begged…. Ew. So not what he wanted to do. But if it could fix everything, he would try.

"What's with the desperate attempt to cleanse yourself, InuYasha?"

InuYasha stood up straight, whipping his head towards where he heard the noise. Miroku sat underneath the waterfall, his eyes closed in concentration. He had his legs crossed, his arms up in meditative stance. The water poured over his already soaked black hair, drizzling down to his white yukata. InuYasha stared at him, his eyes wide. How long had he been there? Why didn't he notice him before? He must have really been falling apart at the seems….

He glared at him, "Why do you think? Because this scent is making me ill."

"It makes me ill to sit here and watch you. I told Kagome I wouldn't hurt you, but with you just standing in front of me like this…I can't believe I'm able to contain myself. Must be the purification water." He smiled, lowering his hands. "You're so lucky I'm a monk."

InuYasha scoffed, "Whatever you say Miroku. You know you can't really justify hurting me, because it's not really my fault."

"Yes, InuYasha, it is. I'm sorry to tell you this, but you _killed_ someone last night. You can't blame anyone but yourself. And you can't run away from it forever, or hide from it. You killed Sango. You have to face it and admit it and _accept_ it! Kagome won't always be here to protect you from yourself. You'll have to man up and learn how to do it on your own."

InuYasha stared daggers into the monk's head. He ran at him, punching him in the face, hard.

"Shut up Miroku!" he screamed with tears forming in his eyes. "You have no idea what I've been going through!"

"You?!" Miroku heard his voice crack with strain. "Sango's dead! I loved her! I loved her so, so much! Just as much as you love Kagome! How would you feel if I killed her?! Chopped her up?! Sliced right through her as if she were my dinner?! Seeing her lifeless, cold corpse staring at you with dead eyes! How you would you feel then InuYasha?! Tell me!"

InuYasha's face fell. He imagined Kagome's body being cut open, the blood spraying out of her, all over the ground and his face. As her lifeless form would hit the ground, her head would turn towards him, staring at him with empty eyes. Her mouth would be a thin line, no longer smiling at him.

It made him truly ill.

But at the same time, it excited him.

_What a thrilling fantasy…_

"Shut up!"

_And you thought of it all on your own, no help from me at all…. InuYasha, I think you're turning into me whether you like it or not. You can't stop this, try as you might. I think we should butcher your beloved Kagome next, seeing as she's your main obstacle._

"Never! I will never hurt her!"

_But my dear hanyou, you already have. Maybe not physically as you fear, but mentally. Do you know how hard is for her to watch you kill? And the decisions she has to make afterwards? It kills her a little bit more on the inside every time you kill someone on the outside. How about that for pain?_

"That's not true! She doesn't mind! She said she'll always stand by me, no matter what happens!"

_Lies…_

"No!"

"InuYasha?" Miroku asked, staring up at the half-demon. InuYasha was straddling Miroku's waist, holding him up by the collar. He was staring ahead though, instead of at the man below him. Not only that, but he was arguing…with no one. Miroku realized it almost instantly; InuYasha was arguing with the demon inside him. Maybe he was wrong—maybe he really couldn't control it. Maybe it had some kind of power over him, something he was no match for.

InuYasha's eyes began to dilate, his hands shaking in their grasp upon Miroku's yukata. The water from the fall thundered upon his back, pounding with the beat of his speeding heart. Miroku realized what was happening. He threw InuYasha off of him, into the water below, hoping to throw the transformation off as well. InuYasha fell into the stilled water, his body making a wall of water as it splashed against it.

After a moment, he re-surfaced, spitting a fish out of him mouth.

"Wha'd you do that for?!"

Miroku stood up, stepping out of the way of the fall. He watched as InuYasha climbed out of the small lake, shaking the water from his body like a dog. Could it be he didn't recall his almost transformation? He acted as if it never happened. It was like he had two totally different mind sets. He was two people. Like his demon blood controlled half of his brain….

But did that make him more or less of an animal?

Miroku made his way over to the shore as well, placing his monk robes back on his body. InuYasha followed suite, ringing out his shirt before putting it back on.

"Miroku…" he said, his voice barely audible.

"What?" he retorted.

InuYasha looked down at the ground, his voice now deep with meaning, "I'm sorry. Really. And I have an idea, to bring her back I mean."

Miroku stared at him, confused. He didn't know how to think of the man anymore. He killed his fiancé, but…he seemed to feel such remorse for it. Maybe he wasn't an animal. Maybe he was just a sad dog, trying to cling to his owner for fear of getting lost. Kagome seemed to sustain him in life, helping him not to stray from his path.

"Fine. Tell me your plan."

"Sesshoumaru. With the Tensaiga, we can bring Sango back in no time. We just have to find him first."

Miroku's eyes widened. There was still hope! He could see her again….

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go!"


	5. Beg

Hey sorry for the delay but here's a chapter finally!

**Couple things you need to know! READ ME!**

In this chapter, I'm talking about two new things, but not till the end. They will make their debut in the next chapter, and if you don't read this, you're going to be very confused.

Sesshoumaru's mother is in here, and no, I did not make her up. She's in the manga, but it's chapter 467 or something like that, so you don't know about her unless you can read Japanese or know about the illegal site I know about. You can probably google her to get a picture, but all you really need to know is she's really pretty, can change into a giant dog like Sesshoumaru, she's kind of a bitch, she thinks Sesshy's gonna eat Rin and Kohaku. And last but not least she's really smart. InuYasha and Sesshoumaru's father entrusted her with the Meidou-Seki, which is an amulet that can like, send people to hell and take things out of it. She can summon demons from hell with it and such, as well as open a path to hell. That is why she is crucial.

There is also talk about the Meidou Zengetsuha, another thing in the later chapters of InuYasha. It's also called the "Kuroi" or "Black Tetsusaiga", if you're familar with the OVA aired and the Rumic World Convention in Tokyo. The attack is like a sliver of black light, and it's supposed to look like a moon. In the beggining, it's bestoyed upon Tensaiga (Tenseiga) and only Sesshoumaru can use it. It also opens up a pathway to hell, but at first it's too small to fit anything through, so that's why they're going to Sesshy's mom. Later, InuYasha uses Tetsusaiga to absorb Tensaiga completely, meaning that he gains the attack for his own.

Sorry to confuse you! But you gotta know these things! I'm just trying to make it more interesting, so please try to keep up with me! **READ AND REVEIW!!! **Please!

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Sesshoumaru always seemed to glide as he walked. His footsteps were so light, so elegant and graceful. The way his kimono billowed behind him, his empty kimono sleeve waving in the breeze. And his hair…his long, flowing silver hair, running like rippling water in the air. Jaken stared up at his master, seemingly never tearing his eyes away. Not even to blink. He was just so beautiful, so admirable, and so strong. All he wanted to do was serve him forever, so he could always be near someone so strong and gorgeous.

Rin blinked down at the imp demon from Ah-Un. "What's wrong, Jaken-sama? You've been staring at Sesshoumaru-sama for a long time."

Jaken narrowed his eyes and finally turned his head away from Sesshoumaru. He glared at the girl above him. "Insolent child! I was merely watching out for Sesshoumaru-sama's well being!" Just after he spoke those words, he tripped over his own feet and fell face onto the ground. The Staff of Two Heads fell too, only it landed on Jaken's head. Then, as if that weren't enough, Ah-Un stepped on the poor little demon's back, causing him to squirm and cry out in pain.

Not like anyone cared.

Sesshoumaru just stared ahead, showing no acknowledgement to the noises behind him.

"Are you ok, Jaken-sama?!" Rin asked worriedly.

Jaken replied angrily, "No I am not ok, you stupid girl! You stepped on me!"

Rin giggled, "I didn't step on you Jaken-sama, Ah-Uh did."

Sesshoumaru still didn't flinch, although there was the smallest hint of a smile on his face. Even if he wouldn't show it, he was happy to have people that cared about it. Hell, he wouldn't even admit it to himself, but it was true. It had to be.

All of a sudden, he stopped. He sniffed the air delicately, although he couldn't mistake that awful stench for any other. He placed his hand out, telling Rin and Jaken silently to step back. InuYasha was coming, and he reeked of blood. No doubt he was demon. Though he couldn't sense any fully demonic power about him….

The two obeyed him, hiding behind bushes and rocks.

InuYasha bounded over the horizon, Kagome clinging to his back. Sesshoumaru took a grunt of relief, so he wasn't transformed. That was one less thing to worry about. He hated dealing with InuYasha in his demon state, because he was just absolutely pathetic. He didn't know who he was, where he was, or what he killed. He was the saddest excuse for a demon ever. Not that he was any better as a hanyou or a human.

Not only did he see InuYasha and his wench, but that retched cat demon as well. The monk boarded it. There was something missing…. The taijiya! Not that he was ever threatened by her, but she still reeked of dead demon. It sickened him. She also resembled InuYasha's mother, Izayoi, of whom he detested. He was glad she was gone, and wondered what awful fate befell her.

The group soon landed in front of him, and stood in a line before him. Then, they all looked at each other quizzically, as if they weren't sure what to do next. Miroku winced as if in mental pain and stepped forward. The other two stepped back, giving him room to do whatever it was he was going to do.

Miroku just stared at him. Sesshoumaru stared back, getting slightly annoyed. What did they want?

The monk suddenly dropped to his knees, his eyes taking on a certain softness. He placed his arms to the ground, pressing his forehead level to the dirt. "Please!" he shouted loudly and clearly. "Please hear me out, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Being how he was, Sesshoumaru did not answer, but considering he didn't walk away, he was willing to listen.

Miroku kept his face down, trying to be respectful as possible. "I need a favor from you. I'll do anything for you, although I know you're not interested in anyone's help for anything. Especially a human. But please!" He lifted his head, a single tear running down his face. "Please bring Sango back to me!"

Sesshoumaru looked at the other two. Kagome had her hand on InuYasha's arm, and he was looking to the side, as if in shame. He looked back down at the monk at his feet.

Disgusting.

The way humans groveled truly was despicable. He stepped to the side, beginning to walk away. Rin and Jaken emerged from their hiding places, running after him. Miroku stared after him, and then spoke again. "Wait. How would you feel if Rin died again? You can only use the Tensaiga on a person once, right? She would be gone forever. You would never see her smiling, happy, innocent face again! That's how it's like for all humans! Why is it fair that you get to experience the joy of bringing back your loved ones when we can't! Sango's gone forever, unless you bring her back! Without you, I'll never get to hear her voice again! I'll never get to hold her in my arms again! I'll never get to tell her I love her! Please Sesshoumaru! Lend me your power, just for once!"

Sesshoumaru stopped again. He didn't turn to face him. "Why should I?"

Miroku hesitated at this. He didn't know. What could he say?

Kagome stepped forward. "Because it's the right thing to do."

"And since when do I care about the 'right thing'?" he asked her, turning his head. His expression showed nothing, but his eyes were cold and confused.

She took a deep breath. "Since you helped us! You didn't kill InuYasha when you had the chance, because it was the right thing to do! You didn't let Rin die, because it was the right thing to do! You let Jaken follow you because it was the right thing to do! You've protected me and InuYasha from things, because it was the right thing to do! You're after Naraku, because it's the right thing to do! You've always been doing the right thing, Sesshoumaru! Whether you like it or not, you're a good person! So please just help us out, just this once, because it's the right thing to do!"

InuYasha stared at her, dumbfounded. "Kagome…"

Sesshoumaru grasped the hilt of Tensaiga. Never before had a human girl stood up to him before. Maybe just for that, he would help them. Besides, he had never tested Tensaiga's strength on a full grown human before, as far as he could remember.

He began walking in the direction they had come from, catching the demon's slayers scent. He began to follow it, not saying anything. Jaken and Rin looked at each other, and then followed after him clumsily. InuYasha placed Kagome on his back, willing her not to say anything more. Miroku got on Kirara, keeping his mouth shut.

Sesshoumaru didn't want a thank you. That was for sure.

Back at Keade's hut, Sango's body was just as they left it. Her body was covered with her kimono, all the way up to her neck. Her face was peaceful, as if she were just sleeping. Her hair spilled out over the square pillow, framing her pale face. Miroku walked over to her standing next to her lifeless form with remorse on his face.

"Stand aside," Sesshoumaru ordered, drawing Tensaiga from its sheath. He stared at the girl before him. The pall-bearers of the underworld still stood by her, poking her and grabbing at her soul. It was already halfway out of her body. Sesshoumaru swung at them, slicing them clean in half. The girl's soul drifted lazily around her, not sure to go back into her body or not. It just hovered there, so half was in, and half was out.

Sesshoumaru spoke softly, "It was a little late. Her soul is half extracted, so she may be able to live like this, but I'm not sure. You might want to bring in someone who can push her soul back in, before it's completely lost."

"Who can do that?" Miroku asked, still staring at Sango.

Sesshoumaru glared at the floor. "My mother."

Everyone gasped and turned to him, curiosity in their eyes. Sesshoumaru's mother…no one knew anything about her. She must have been a strong demon, to make Sesshoumaru. But where did she reside exactly?

"Where can we find her?" Kagome asked.

He let out what sounded like a small sigh. "I have to take you there. She's someone you can't really reach without me."

"Why's that?" InuYasha asked. If it was a place untouchable by humans, at least he could go there, so that wasn't the issue. He wondered what it could be…

Sesshoumaru spoke clearly, a little humor in his voice, "She'll kill you on site. My mother thinks that all humans are…how shall I say this? Food. I haven't seen her in ages, so she probably won't even recognize me. She's very knowledgeable about Tensaiga and the Meidou Zengetsuha, as well as the affiliations of the afterlife. She'll probably know how to push this girl's soul back into her body."

"So you'll take us?" InuYasha asked, to make sure that they were clear.

He turned and walked out of the hut, ignoring the obvious question. He had been meaning to see his mother anyway, but not to pay her a visit. He wanted to ask her a few questions about the Meidou Zengetsuha and Tensaiga's true power. He wasn't doing this for them, they just happened to be tagging along.

Miroku picked Sango's limp body up slowly, his face pain stricken. He placed her on Kirara, causing the cat demon to mew sadly. Miroku pet her head, "I know Kirara, but it's all going to be ok. Trust me, I'll bring her back."

He hopped on the neko youkai too, getting ready to take off.

InuYasha had Kagome on his back again. She leaned forward, whispering into his neck.

"InuYasha. Thank you so much for doing this. I know you hate asking Sesshoumaru for favors."

He smiled a little. "I didn't do anything, though. You and Miroku did all the begging. I just stood there and watched. I'm sorry, it was my fault, and I didn't do anything to help."

Kagome played with a lock of his hair, unsure of what to say for once. She didn't know how to cheer him up, not that she could even if she tried.

He sighed. Of course she wasn't going to say anything to that. He was such an awful person. He should've been the one on his knees at Sesshoumaru's feet, not Miroku. He had caused them all enough pain already.

There was no need to poke the burning fire.

_There's never enough pain, InuYasha, never enough. It can always be worse. Just remember that._

Fuck. His demon side had been creeping into his thoughts a lot more than usual lately. He had to learn to control it better, before it took control of him completely. The only way to end it all was to turn human. All he had to do was get the jewel and turn into a human, permanently.

_I won't let you do that. It'll never happen anyway. _

But he had to. For the sake of Kagome, and for himself, he had to sacrifice his power. Kagome was more important to him than his claws or fangs or sword. He treasured her more than any amount of power in the world. If anything ever happened to her—especially if it was inflicted by him—he would never forgive himself.

And no wish the Shikon Jewel could grant would fix that.


	6. Izayoi

I really hope you people read the intro on the last chapter! Here we go!

This chapter is mainly focused on the past, but we're getting back to the drama here, so sit tight. I like this chapter, it's one of my favorites so far. I'm getting back to the InuYasha and Kagome too, don't worry!

**READ AND REVIEW!**

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Sesshoumaru's mother—an absolutely stunning beauty. Her long, snow-white hair was like liquid silk, running and rippling in its own softness. It was placed atop her head in a ponytail, with a headdress as the holder. Two trails of hair escaped the ponytail, framing her pale face. The thin center of her bangs were pulled up, held back, making a small poof. What remained of her bangs resembled Sango's, the way they were parted. She had a smaller, more delicate moon in the center of her forehead. Under that were her enchanting eyes, amber in color and slanted elegantly. They were adorned with long eyelashes and thin eye shadow. Her noise was poised and small, pointed slightly. And her lips were pursed o so cutely, a dark wax coating them like lipstick.

She wore a graceful kimono, layered over what appeared to be a yukata. The same fluffy-like thing that Sesshoumaru had on his arm was draped around her body like a shawl, resting on her forearms and wrapping around her back.

And lastly, from her neck, hug the pendant. The Meidou-Seki.

Sesshoumaru remembered his mother's image perfectly. He hadn't seen her for…what was it? One hundred years? Maybe one hundred and fifty. Yes, that sounded about right. But although it had been so long, he could still see her clearly in his mind. As a child he had always clung to her, as most little boys did. But as he grew older, he began to ignore her, and focused all his attention on gaining power and succeeding his father. He had no time for her, and apparently, neither did his father, for he left her for that wretched human Izayoi. Although he hadn't been around, he was still sure that it caused his mother a lot of pain.

Perhaps that was where he got his hate for humans from?

"What are we looking for, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Jaken asked his master as he stumbled along behind him. They had landed in a field of some sort, with long, tall grass. Being his size, Jaken was having a problem seeing and wanted to know how much longer.

Sesshoumaru glared out of the corner of his eye. "Silence. Stop moving, all of you. Follow if you wish." He jumped up into the air, as if he were lightning in reverse. During his jump, he underwent many changes. His face began to stretch, his eyes turning red as blood. His limbs stretched, and became fuzzy. Sooner than he reached the cloud's edges, he had transformed into his full-dog state. He let out a deep, bellowing roar, beckoning.

The group below all followed him, keeping their distance. Rin and Jaken both were on Ah-Uh, Kagome was on InuYasha, and Miroku and Sango were on Kirara, just how it always was. They all looked around expectantly, trying to find some kind of secret entrance.

InuYasha's nose flickered fast. He shot his head up, staring at the clouds above them. Everyone else followed his gaze, except Sesshoumaru. He knew what was coming.

The dark clouds parted to pay heed to the beast coming through them. A second dog-demon, fully transformed, made its way towards the group. At first, she bore her enormous fangs in defense, her red eyes hungry. But when she saw Sesshoumaru, she instantly calmed down. She flew over next to him, hovering along side his long body. The two began to fly through the clouds, the rest of the group hot on their trail. The clouds were dense and smoggy; therefore they couldn't see where they were going.

After what seemed like forever, the clouds finally cleared. A marvelous palace lay below them, though it was obviously not that of a human's. InuYasha and Sesshoumaru's father must have had it hand built by demon crafters and had it filled with servants for her. InuYasha assumed, knowing his father, that it was too vulgar to just take a human castle by force. He wondered what kind of woman she would be. If his father had a similar taste in women, maybe she was like his own mother. He smiled slightly as he began to think of her.

Kagome watched his face stretch into a small smile. What was it? Had he been here before? Was it nostalgic to him, or was it something else? What was so humorous about a building? She clutched his shoulder slightly, asking for his support. Truthfully, the idea of the woman who mothered such a cold and unresponsive demon kind of scared her. She must have been the devil herself! What if she ate them, like Sesshoumaru said she might?! Kagome gasped slightly at this and turned pale.

InuYasha looked back at her in confusion. What was her problem? What was so intimidating about a castle? It had golden roofs, for Christ's sake! It wasn't as if there were dead bodies strewn across the entryway or something. Heck, they didn't even have to go inside it seemed! There was a huge throne sitting at the top of the long line of stairs, just waiting to be sat on.

Sure enough, Sesshoumaru's mother flew down to the landing, transforming into her normal self. Sesshoumaru followed suite, impressed that she hadn't changed her appearance at all. InuYasha landed as well, Kagome hopping off his back. Jaken and Rin ran up to stand next to Sesshoumaru, as they always did, InuYasha and Kagome standing behind him. Miroku left Sango on Kirara, not wanting to bombard the woman with a thousand problems.

She glided up to her throne, placing herself on it lightly. She leaned to the side, resting her arm on the arm rest. She propped her elbow up, resting her chin on her open palm. She glanced at the rest of the group, and then turned her attention to her son. She smiled deviously and snickered, "Did you bring a snack, Sesshoumaru-kun?"

The corner of Sesshoumaru's mouth twitched at the suffix. Only his mother could get away with that. InuYasha tried to stifle his laughs with his hand, drawing more attention to himself. Kagome placed her hand on his arm, trying to get him to stop. The look she was giving them gave her chills.

Oh shit!

She stood up, a glare on her pretty face. She stormed up to InuYasha, grabbing his jaw with her pointy-nailed fingers. "You're his son, no? Are you the brat that was conceived by that wench Izayoi?"

Was he ever wrong. She was nothing like his mother.

He pushed her hand away from his, the contact startling her. She flew backwards, faster than his eyes could follow. She clutched her hand to her chest in shock—did he just touch her?! "So what of it?" InuYasha asked, a cocky grin on his face. He wasn't afraid of her; all she had was some hell stone that she wore as a necklace! Even if his old man left it to her, it couldn't be all that powerful. Just look at Tensaiga! It was pathetic.

The mother's hair began to stand on end with rage. "Why you little," she growled, her voice threatening.

"Mother," Sesshoumaru interrupted. "We have come for a reason. Please do not question my reason, but there's a human who's life needs saving."

She flung her hand up dramatically, "Just use Tensaiga. I thought you were smarter than that, Sesshoumaru. Coming to me over a mere human's life when you had the power the whole time!" She scoffed. "I thought I raised you better than that. Use that precious power of yours more wisely, why don't you?"

This only angered the great demon. "I wasn't finished," he spat. "Listen before you spout insults, mother. It had been too much time, so Tensaiga could only half-restore her soul. We need your help to push the other half back in."

She had her eyes closed in concentration, trying to control her emotions. She opened one eye, "And why should I help you and a bunch of humans? I could care less if this girl stays alive or dead. Humans are meant to die after a small period of time, it's their destiny. That's how it has always been, and how it's always going to be-"

Miroku cut her off, "You don't understand. This girl's life was cut off on unusual and unfair circumstances. I know people die, trust me; I've seen my fair share. But please, hear me out. Resurrect this one girl, please, for the sake of love."

She inhaled slowly, taking in his words. Love. Ha. She had experienced it once, with Inu-Taiysho. Oh, that man was the one and only love of her life. She had loved him, truly and deeply, and he had too, at one point. She remembered why they split up, however. He had fallen in love for a second time, with that damn human woman, Izayoi. He thought he had been mistaken the first time, and that it was true love, the second time around. He had just left her for that, that…that frail, weak, infidel! She was nothing compared to her, nothing! Her and her long, brown hair. And those stupid bangs! It was as if she had stolen her bangs as if to lure her husband away! Her sickening brown eyes and plain makeup. She was no different than any other human!

Love was stupid. But so…powerful. It could make anyone do anything, no matter their status. It could make them cry. It could make them kiss and hug and consummate. It could make them do crazy, reckless things. It could make them crush other people to get to what they wanted, as he had done with Izayoi. It was the most powerful force on the earth, affecting both demons and humans.

If only Sesshoumaru could understand. That swords and spells were nothing compared to the power of love. She looked down at the little human girl, smiling devilishly. Perhaps she was the key to it, and she could unlock his cold, frozen heart. Show him that his swords were worthless, and that love was the only thing that really mattered in this world. Even if it was a fatherly sort of love.

"Fine. For the sake of love. Bring her to me," she commanded.

Miroku obliged, hoisting Sango's cadaver from Kirara's back. She was wrapped in her own kimono, so he wouldn't have to see her. He lay her down in front of the demon woman, lifting the part that covered her face up ever so slightly. Sango's face was just as they left it, pale and perfect. Her hair had fallen out of its holder, cascading onto her shoulders and behind her neck. Her bangs fell just as they always did, parted with a little space down the middle.

Sesshoumaru's mother leaned over to get a closer look. She stared at her for a moment, and then shot back out of her seat for a second time. Her eyes turned red with the flames of fury, her fangs growing her in delicate mouth. She made a little hissing noise, coming from the deepest part of her throat. The growl sent chills down everyone's spines, all except Sesshoumaru's, of course.

"Izayoi…" she hissed, her voice deep and frightening. She outstretched her hand, her claws growing long and treacherous.

InuYasha's eyes went blank. How could he have not noticed it before? Sango and his mother looked exactly the same! Sure his mother's hair was longer…but the face…. Kagome turned to stare at him, her gaze curious. At first she was worried about Sango's well-being, seeing as Sesshoumaru's mother looked like she was about to rip her to shreds. What did she say again? Oh! Izayoi! That was InuYasha's mother's name! But why would she say that about Sango? Then again they did have a resemblance….

InuYasha stepped forward, trying to stop her from destroying Sango's body more than it already was.

"That is not Izayoi," he said calmly, with sadness in his voice. "Izayoi died long ago."

"Lies! I don't care what you say! This wench looks exactly like Izayoi! It has to be her!" Her voice sounded more distressed than before, more desperate. "I have to kill her!" She shrieked the last sentence, lunging at Sango's body. Her claws were outstretched, her fangs barred. Her eyes were crazed, and they had a thin layer of tears over them. Sesshoumaru quickly snapped in front of Sango, his mother's poison claws digging into his own flesh. He was unfazed.

She looked up at him, her expression now confused. A single tear trickled down her face, gliding down her cheek like a river. Sesshoumaru just stared at her, trying to explain this to her without words. The last thing she needed was to be provoked more.

"Why do you stop me, Sesshoumaru?! I have to kill her!"

"She's already dead."

"Then I have to rip her apart!" She ran around him, fast as a fox, and was about to attack Sango from the other side. "I have to destroy that wretched face so that no one has to see it again!"

InuYasha spoke again, trying to stall, "Why?"

She stopped and regained her posture. She looked over her shoulder at him, glaring intensely. "Because she looks like Izayoi."

"I know, but what does it matter?"

"Because!" She whipped around, shedding more tears. She began to tell her past, "I was happy with Inu-Taiysho! I loved him with all my heart! We had a son together, Sesshoumaru, and we were ecstatic! But apparently, he didn't love me as truly as he thought he did! He found that woman, Izayoi, in human territory! He came to me, claiming that our love had been a lie! That he never loved me and that Izayoi was his one true love! He ditched me, alone in a cold snow, and walked away with that woman! That was the last time I saw him, because he _died _for her! He, the Great Dog Demon, sacrificed his life for a _human_! A human! Can you believe it?!"

She hid her face in her hands, her wide, crying eyes finally hidden from them all. They all looked on at her with pity, feeling remorse for her.

"But before then, _you_ were born!" She pointed at InuYasha, "a hanyou! I couldn't believe my ears! Not only had she stolen my love from me, but she had a baby with him! A half demon, none the less! An abomination! An animal! You shouldn't be on this earth! You're blood is unstable, and you can kill people mindlessly! That's the worst kind of demon there is! I bet you killed this girl, didn't you, InuYasha?! I bet you tore through her flesh with those hands, the hands Izayoi gave you! The hands that look so much like my darlings! You don't deserve those hands! You've only used them to kill! And you'll do it again!"

InuYasha just stared at her. This woman was insane! But…she was right. If that was true, his mother really was an awful person. Had he known a lie all his life?

_Yes…. Humans truly are detestable, aren't they?_

No, it wasn't true. His mother didn't even know about her! Why would his father inform her about his previous love? It wasn't necessary. She didn't know what was going on, so it wasn't her fault.

_Yes she did. She knew. I bet that night in the snow this woman is talking about__—__the night he left her__—__really happened. If your mother really was there, then of course she would have asked. She would have figured it out. Any sane, kind person would say that it was wrong for them to be together. That he should go back to his old life. That their love was wrong. But she didn't. No; instead, she went away with him. No doubt she was smiling back at this woman, claiming her prize and showing her victory. Your mother was an evil woman, InuYasha. She lied to you. All humans lie to you. Everyone hates you!_

"That's not true! Kagome doesn't-"

_Doesn't hate you? But how can you be so sure? Maybe her smiling face is a lie too. Maybe she's just deceiving you, and is going to make you squirm in the end. You'll fall into your own despair, and she'll just be sitting there, laughing away, because she knew it would happen all along. She doesn't love you. No one can love a half demon…_

"She does love me! My mother loved me too!"

_You're mother just seemed to have a thing for dogs. Maybe she just loved you because you reminded her of the husband she lost. You're a stand in, InuYasha. And Kagome…Kagome's just plotting against you. They all are. They do hate you. They do not love you. They will hurt you again, and again, and again. Because that's what humans do, they hurt each other and themselves. That is why we must kill them…_

"No! I don't want to kill anyone else!" InuYasha bent over, his hair falling over his face like a curtain. "Leave me alone! I don't need you!"

_But you do….. You do need me. You depend on me! Without me, you would be just like those harmful, stupid, arrogant, conceited humans! This isn't what you want InuYasha! Let me out, so we can kill them all! Kill the woman who made you think these things! Kill the monk who thinks you're an animal! Kill the demon who has always thought he was better than you! And best of all, kill the woman that lied to you! That falsely loved you! That's trying to bring you down! That hates you for loving her…._

_Beauty will never love the beast!_

InuYasha growled deeper than Sesshoumaru's mother had. He flung his head upward, his hair flying back dramatically. His eyes were completely white, his pupils shrinking away with his sense. He held his growing claws up, threatening those around him with his talons. Suddenly, the red came into his eye, glowing in the light mist. His fangs sprouted from his teeth, growing to his bottom lip. Lastly, the blue pupil of his eye shone brightly, ending his transformation.

His fair lay flat again, and he closed his eyes. His hands still were up and opened. He began to laugh maniacally, his chuckles echoing across the bland, empty palace. His shoulders shook with humor, the laughs seemingly coming from inside, as it he found something so completely side-splitting that it deserved a hearty laugh.

After his hysteria ended, he returned his attention to the group before him. He closed his mouth into an evil smirk and he cracked his claws in front of his face threateningly.

Kagome stared at him with wide, scared eyes. Why? Why did he transform now?! And what could she do about it? More importantly, who was he after? If it was Sesshoumaru's mother, he might have a chance. But if it was Sesshoumaru himself…. She bit her bottom lip. Why did he do this? What angered or threatened him so much that he had to transform. She no longer feared for her life, but more for his safety.

InuYasha ran at Sesshoumaru's mother, causing her to flinch. She didn't ask for this. She knew what this boy was like when he was transformed. He was an unstoppable maniac that destroyed everything in his path. He could no doubt tear her to shreds. She grimaced, thinking that perhaps her time was up.

Sesshoumaru stepped in front of his mother, drawing Toukijin in the process. He held it out defensively with his one arm, getting ready to repel the demon approaching them. InuYasha, however, stopped dead in his tracks.

"Sesshoumaru," He growled, his voice sounding nothing like his own. "You want to play? We never did when we were kids…" He smiled and laughed again, obviously finding this whole situation just hilarious.

The opposing demon glared at him, pointing his sword dead straight at him, "Mind your tongue, InuYasha. This, as you very well know, is not a game. If you lay one finger on my mother, I will kill you, without hesitation."

InuYasha smiled, jumping into the air. He appeared on the left side of the mother. He lightly poked her neck with his claw, just hard enough to poke through the skin and draw blood. Sesshoumaru lost his temper, swinging his blade around to stab the air where InuYasha was supposed to be standing. The boy had jumped into the air, out of harms way.

He smiled again and growled, "Catch me if you can. Tag, you're it."


	7. Shichinintai

Hello, faithfull peoples. Sorry it took so long, I had to study for finals, which I aced, thank you. I'm now saving up for a ball-jointed doll, but there's like, only one left in stock! I have to buy it ASAP lol. And I've been watching a lot of Naruto Shippuden, which is totally boss. But I didn't forget about you guys!

In this chapter, I added about...seven more characters. You know them well. Trust me. If you can't figure out what Shichinintai means by the names that follow it, let me help you; Band of Seven. If you don't like them, chill out, because they're only here for this chapter and the next. I have a plan now for what's going to happen, kind of. So keep checking for updates, though it's going to take me a while to create these next few. And please don't ask me how many chapters there are going to be, because I don't know yet haha. I just write without a plan and it usually works out.

Anyway....Read and Review! PLEASE REVIEW!!!

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Sesshoumaru jumped into the air, his clothes plastering to his skin with the force. His hair shot back behind him, his bangs flying up, away from his head. His face was clear of everything except a very intense glare, his golden eyes smoldering. He held his sword out—pointed at InuYasha, of course. The blade was glowing, getting ready for some petty attack that would still be enough to take out the demon before him.

InuYasha caught the blade with his bare hand, little slits forming on his fingers as he took hold. He leaned forward, his face nearing Sesshoumaru's. Their faces were both illuminated by the glow of the Toukijin, their glares all the more severe. InuYasha's red eyes were more visible, sending chills through Sesshoumaru's spine. And that smile…his aura was almost as impure as Naraku's!

He thrust his arm to the side, flinging the boy to the side along with it. "Know your place, half demon!" he shouted, his anger showing.

He laughed again as she slammed into Sesshoumaru's mother's throne. He sat up, straight as if the throne was his. "Wow…" he said in a deep, husky voice. "I can see why the old man wanted power so much. These thrones are just so comfy…"

Sesshoumaru stabbed the throne, barely slicing InuYasha's knee. The sword impaled the seat, and Sesshoumaru could not pull it out. The electricity shot up from his blade, forcing him to let go. Damn. Now he'd be forced to use Tensaiga, the weakest of his father's swords. There was some unknown power that it possessed, but he didn't know how to unlock it. The Meidou Zengetsuha…..

The very sword he was thinking of pulsed at his hip, asking to be used. He nodded and drew the blade from its sheath, the sword still pulsing in his grasp. His face was mirrored on the slanted side of the blade, his own intense glare staring back at him.

InuYasha growled, lunging at the demon again. In response to Tensaiga being drawn, Tetsusaiga pulsed as well. InuYasha stopped dead in his tracks, the sword's beat matching with his hearts. His eyes went wide as it pulsed in his head, trying to undo the transformation. InuYasha half smiled—thank god. Tetsusaiga was there again to save him from himself.

_No…. This is your last chance to kill Sesshoumaru! Don't mess it up by turning back into a hanyou!_

InuYasha's eyes narrowed again. Yeah…this was it. Maybe he could kill Sesshoumaru and end this. But did he really deserve to die?

_Of course he does! He may be your brother, but he's been ridiculing and attacking you and hating you since you were small! Why should he deserve to live? He's your enemy, InuYasha! Everyone is!_

InuYasha grabbed Tetsusaiga. But…Sesshoumaru had helped them…many times now. Maybe he didn't hate him at all, and helping him was his way of showing it? Maybe he was to be trusted…

_Trust is a weak, human trait. You see what happened when a demon tried to trust? This poor woman was left in the cold snow with a crying infant and a broken heart. Because she dared to trust another! Don't end up like that, InuYasha. For then I don't know if even I'll be able to save you….._

He clutched the hilt of his sword tighter. But he trusted Kagome. He didn't care what his demon side said or thought. Kagome did love him. She did not hate him. She trusted him, and cared for him. She would always be there for him; he just had to make sure he trusted _her_ enough to keep her there.

Yanking Tetsusaiga from its sheath, he pointed it at Sesshoumaru.

_No! What are you doing! I said you could kill him, but not with the Tetsusaiga! That wretched blade controls my blood!_

"Exactly," he smiled.

_Damn you InuYasha. You may have gotten free this time…but I'll be back. You can't get rid of the darkness inside you…._

Finally, the demon's evil hold released him. InuYasha sighed with relief as his eyes regained their normal color, the gold surfacing through the red. Kagome smiled; glad to see that he was back to normal.

But it was too late. Sesshoumaru had evaded him, seeing that he had regained his senses. But his mother however…that was another story. She held the Meidou-Seki, the necklace that hung from her neck. It was a pitch black stone, black as night, enclosed in what appeared to be a circular shell. She placed her delicate hands on either side of it, thrusting it out to face InuYasha.

An enormous black light erupted from the stone, wrapping around him like a cloud. Streams poured out, and they began to assemble above him. After a moment, they began to take shape, and it looked like a dog. Though, it wasn't. It was completely black, and there were what appeared to be stars adorning the whole thing. Two blazing fire balls served as its eyes, glaring down at InuYasha with great intensity. It opened its fanged mouth in a growl, sneering at the boy below it.

"Watch your step, InuYasha," Sesshoumaru warned. "That demon is composed completely of hell's path. If you touch it you'll be sucked into the abyss of hell."

"It's called a hell hound," Sesshoumaru's mother snapped. Then she smiled maliciously, "but yes, he's right. You wouldn't want to fall in there. You see, there's just no exit."

Miroku glared at the hell hound. Suddenly, he saw a throng of souls pass through. Humans shrouded in white, with pale, sad faces, being led by the pall-bearers. One girl in particular caught his eye, her long brown hair flowing behind her.

Sango.

He grabbed the corpse from Kirara's back, slinging it over his back. He bolted for the hound, only to be stopped by Kagome's cry.

"Wait Miroku! What are you doing?!"

Miroku stopped, but only for a moment. "I'm going to get her back."

She felt tears come to her eyes. They didn't need to loose another friend! "But you'll die! You'll be stuck in there!"

He turned back to look at her over his shoulder. "I'd rather be stuck in hell with her for eternity than be without her here for a lifetime."

With that, he jumped into the hound's abyss. InuYasha watched his best friend jump in, a shocked expression on his face. Kagome ran up to him, sharing his expression.

"What a fool," the demon woman spat, lowering her hands.

Sesshoumaru took a step towards the hell hound. Without saying a word, he glided over to it, stepping into its portal as well. Everyone just blinked and stared after him, confused by his actions.

InuYasha looked at Kagome, asking her mentally what she wanted to do. She just nodded in response. He smiled down at her, then turned around, squatting so she could climb on. She did as such, squeezing his shoulder for support. He placed his free hand over hers, squeezing it back.

Sure, it was crazy. And yes, they may never come back. They'd be stuck in a living hell for eternity. But they would be together.

So, it wouldn't be so bad.

InuYasha lunged into the hound as well, forcing it to let out a deep, hollow howl.

"Has everyone gone insane?!" Sesshoumaru's mother exclaimed, calling the hell hound back into the Meidou-Seki. She stared into the jewel's blackness, truly contemplating her next action. She felt awful for letting her son get caught up with human affairs.

No doubt, Sesshoumaru had gone into the hound to find out more about his Meidou Zengetsuha. She began talking to herself, "Though he could have just asked me." She sat back in her throne, beckoning a servant over to her. He brought with him an enormous mirror, the one that was resting behind her throne. She pointed at it, a string of black spewing out of her finger. The black dripped onto the mirror, sending ripples of its color flowing out onto its surface. An image then appeared, the group that had just jumped in was now being viewed by the strange woman. "After all…" she smiled, leaning back to enjoy the show, "I am the master of hell herself."

Inside, the blackness was only illuminated by the stars and ghosts of the dead. Miroku pursued the group that Sango was in hastily, but it was just too fast for him. He grunted as they flew downwards, showing what looked like a very deep crater, composed of what seemed like black rock. He stood on the edge of it, following their light with his strained eyes closely. Without hesitation, he jumped off the edge, plummeting into the darkness after them.

"Miroku!" InuYasha shouted, glaring at the monk. "You idiot!" He began to jump off as well, but was stopped by Kagome's grip on his shoulder. He looked back at her quizzically. Why would she stop him? She just stared ahead, a horrified look on her face. InuYasha followed her stare but his view was blocked by the blackness. Another group of Shinigaami and the dead passed in front of him, showing what Kagome must have seen before. A huge crowd of demons gathered around the other side of the gorge, staring at InuYasha and Kagome. As soon as the ghouls passed, they disappeared into the darkness again.

"What should we do?" Kagome asked.

"It's going to be hard to fight them if we can't see them," InuYasha muttered softly, as not to disturb the demons. "We're going to have to be extremely careful not to get caught in an attack."

Kagome nodded, getting off his back in the process. She drew her arrows from her own back, placing them on her bow gently. "I can't aim though…"

InuYasha drew Tetsusaiga again, a glow showing for just a moment as he took the blade from the sheath. "Just shoot anywhere. You'll hit something, I'm sure."

Sesshoumaru's scent drifted to InuYasha's nose, causing him to turn his head to the left. The demon stood next to him, holding Tensaiga tightly. InuYasha smiled slightly; luckily it was hidden by the night-like darkness. Sesshoumaru was still helping them…even though he had just tried to kill him. Just like it always was.

"Here goes!" Kagome shouted as she drew her arrow back, the purple glowing from its tip. The glow lit up the area, flying from her bow to collide with a demon's head. As it disintegrated, the light died out as well, sending them back into darkness.

InuYasha glared at where the group was supposed to be, still smiling. By watching them when Kagome's light was on them, he could easily tell the position of the bigger, more threatening ones. He swung Tetsusaiga down, "Kaze no Kizu!" he screamed, the light pouring out of his sword's tip. It too shone brightly, showing more foes as it destroyed others. Once the gloom was fallen, it was Sesshoumaru's turn. He lifted his thin blade up, charging it with demonic power. He cried out as he swung it down, releasing the blue lightning from the sword. It shocked a few more demons to death, but a few others caught what was going on.

They saw the group. Now it was a battle.

One demon screamed a deep roar, sending all the demon's attention to the group. They all placed their arms and blades up, getting ready to attack. The dusk settled again, the signal to begin the blind battle.

"Be on guard," InuYasha commanded.

Sesshoumaru stepped in front of him and Kagome. "Stand back," he ordered. The two obliged, curious at his command. "Farther," he spat, thrusting his blade into the ground. He held his hand in front of his face, his index finger glowing white. A few demons came at him, growling, therefore giving away their position. He narrowed his eyes and began to gracefully spin in a circle, his whip extending from his finger. The string of light slapped the demons, slicing their heads clean off, blood spraying everywhere. Finally, he stopped spinning, the light dimming in the process.

Unfortunately, one of the demons was smarter than that. He had snuck up, around to the Tensaiga, while Sesshoumaru was carrying out his attack. Sesshoumaru went to grab it, only to be rudely surprised, seeing as it was no longer there. "Damn," he cursed, scanning the darkness for the thief.

"Kongou Souha!" InuYasha shouted, the diamonds spraying from his blade. The luminosity stayed on the spears, even after they impaled the demons. Now, they had a small light source, seeing as the spears were implanted in the dead enemies. InuYasha smiled at his own cunning, making the fight easier.

Just then, a deep chuckle erupted from the mass of demons. The voice sounded extremely familiar. After that, six more laughs followed after it, echoing in the almost silent hell. The only other noise was screams.

"Shichinintai," InuYasha growled, staring ahead.

Kagome glared as well, grabbing back to snatch another arrow.

But she was out.

Her face went pale as her eyes widened. Not now! This was the last thing they needed!

Sesshoumaru continued to scan for his sword, not like he needed it. These weak mortals were no problem when they were reincarnated the first time, and now that they were dead for a second time, they really shouldn't have been a problem.

Bankotsu stepped out, heaving his Banryu over his shoulder with a smile. Jakotsu stepped out after him, squealing when he saw InuYasha.

"Oh!" he gasped erotically. "InuYasha! I thought I would never see you again! After I died, I knew you wouldn't be going to hell like me! You're just too cute for even Buddha to resist! But I guess I was wrong! Oh, I see, you must have been a naughty boy up there. Why didn't you ever do naughty things to me, huh InuYasha?"

InuYasha sweat dropped, his face turning ill. Why? Why him? Why now?

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened at this. He had never felt…what did they call it? Ah, yes, humor. He had never felt humor, the urge to smile, before this. He restrained himself, however, because if he smiled, he would never live it down.

"Shut up, Jakotsu," Renkotsu demanded, coming out after them. He crossed his arms, holding his gourd in one hand, wires in the other. He smiled at InuYasha, "Oh, it's you. Where's that cursed wolf demon, your alliance, Kouga? Genkotsu and I have a bone to pick with him."

Bankotsu chuckled, "Now now Renkotsu. I know you want to kill all of these bastards, but we have to take it slow. Let's enjoy killing the ones who damned us to the grave a second time."

Kagome felt chills run down her spine as she hid behind InuYasha.

"Gesh," Genkotsu spat, his gears turning as he rolled up next to Renkotsu. He smiled, his metal mouth gleaming in the small light cast by the diamonds.

Just then, a very malicious laugh rang out. Suikotsu sliced the demon in front of him clean open, blood spraying all over his evil face. "Sesshoumaru," he said softly, licking the blood from his blades. "Long time no see. How's that little girl?"

Sesshoumaru gave him a small glare. He had almost killed Rin…. Sesshoumaru wondered if you could even kill someone in hell. Who cared, he was going to try.

Behind Kagome, a stout little man blew on her neck. She shivered and shrieked, jumping onto a very surprised InuYasha's back. Mukotsu glared up at her, drooling. "Kagome, my darling. We never finished out wedding. Let's get to it, shall we?"

InuYasha grunted and kicked the little man backwards, angered from just remembering it. Thanks to Sesshoumaru, she had been saved. Yet another time he had helped them….

Kilkotsu was the last one to step forward, towering over all of them.

"Enough joking around," Bankotsu demanded. The others assimilated with his battle position and aura, a new seriousness entering the field. The remaining demons all stared at them, smiles spreading across their faces. Their eyes grew hungry with the hope for blood.

A meal for the dead; delicious.

InuYasha thrust Tetsusaiga, re-positioning it in his grasp. "Well fight us then. We killed you once, we'll do it again!"

Sesshoumaru glared. But it wouldn't be that simple. Considering they were already dead, their attacks wouldn't have any affect on them. They needed the monk and his spiritual powers. They could have used the girl, but her arrows were out and her spiritual power could only be awakened in the direst situations.

They had to hold out until one of two things happened; one being that the monk would come back with the demon slayer. The second being if the battle became so serious that Kagome's true spiritual power would be awakened and they would be saved. But if they waited that long….

He glanced over at InuYasha.

He might not be able to control his inner anger long enough not to kill them as well.


End file.
